Midwest Federation of American Syrian & Lebanese Clubs convention 2019 The conference will be held in Chicago at the Swissôtel Chicago, 323 E Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, Illinois 60601 from July 4 through July 7, 2019....

Announcement made in UAE on the sidelines of 4th Global Halal Industry Platform. Al Maeeni: UAE established and implemented the world’s first Halal food system

A unified Pan-Arab framework for the mutual recognition of Halal products and services certificates was announced in the United Arab Emirates on Monday. A step aiming to enhance the competitiveness of halal food in international markets.

The announcement of the Program was made at the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization pavilion in the 4th Global Halal Industry Platform organized by Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, (ESMA).

The United Arab Emirates aims at globalizing the halal Industry. Halal food and beverages market is set to reach a value of USD 2.5 trillion this year, according to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Sultan Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, Chairman of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, and a number of officials, ambassadors and consuls during the announcement of the Arab program of Halal in Dubai Monday 18 February 2019

“The Global Halal Industry Platform, being held in conjunction with Gulfood Dubai, is considered a meeting point for the most prominent global players in the halal industry. It also represents a major opportunity to exchange ideas and visions of growth, with over 1.6 billion Muslims around the world consuming halal food products,” said ESMA’s Director General Abdulla Al Maeeni.

He added that the UAE has for years been leading efforts in this sector and launched the ‘Dubai as the Capital of Islamic Economy’ initiative in 2013. It also established the ‘Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center’ as well as the ‘International Halal Accreditation Forum’ which includes 32-member states.

Al Maeeni said that UAE also strengthened its ranking in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator, as part of its post-oil production vision. In fact, the country was the first to establish and implement the world’s first Halal food system with standards and practices in the fields of accreditation, certification and evaluation.

The GCC countries alone import USD 50 billion worth of Halal products. Also, Muslim consumers around the world are expected to spend USD 3 trillion by 2023, according to a report by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center.

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

"I write about three topics, the Middle East, politics and life in general. I often take my life experiences and offer them in an entertaining way to readers, and I take on the toughest topics like the Israel-Palestine conflict and don't pull any punches about what I feel is fair. But, my priority is always about writing the good story."

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992. Hanania began writing in 1975 when he published The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper which was distributed through 12,500 Middle East food stores in 48 American States (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues for the Arab News in Saudi Arabia as the Special US Correspondent for the Arab News at www.ArabNews.com, the TheArabDailyNews.com, www.TheDailyHookah.com and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has also published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday Newspaper in New York, the Orlando Sentinel Newspapers, and the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Palestinian, American Arab and Christian, Hanania’s parents originate from Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

The managing editor of Suburban Chicagoland Online News website www.SuburbanChicagoland.com, Hanania's columns also appeare in the Southwest News Newspaper Group of 8 newspapers.